With the maximum 15 players now under contract, there are questions about just who will play for the Nuggets next season. Nuggets coach George Karl took time on the phone Thursday to discuss numerous hot topics.

Q: With McGee, Kenneth Faried, Al Harrington, Kosta Koufos, Timofey Mozgov and Randolph, you now have six players at the power forward and center positions. How will you handle this?

A: “There’s no question, it’s too many. It’s a situation that if everybody is healthy, it’s going to be a tough thing. There’s no question that 1-2 players, might even be three, might not be happy with the minutes they get. But I always tell people that it’s a much better situation than the opposite one. Having good players usually figures its way out — sometimes that’s by trade, sometimes it just works out.”

Q: Do you sense the roster is set?

A: “(Nuggets executive) Masai (Ujiri) is excited about the roster, and I hate speaking for him, but he’s anxious to see what these guys are going to do. In the same sense, if a situation would present itself that would make us definitively better, I don’t think we’re afraid to make a trade.”

Q: Jordan Hamilton has had some big point totals in summer league but has missed some jumpers, too. What’s your take on this guy possibly cracking the rotation next season?

A: “Hamilton wasn’t great but wasn’t disappointing either. I think he’s got to earn (playing time) in training camp. I think he’s done a good job for a guy who did not play this year, to get himself into a place where he can compete. He’s done all the extra work, working out in the gym, listening to the coaches. And the summer league proved he can be an effective NBA player. His consistency and fundamental base, as well as his ability to fit in and understand how tough it is to be an NBA player, will all be determined in training camp.”

Q: What are your expectations for McGee next season?

A: “The expectation is for him to continue to do what he did for us — and get better and progress. We’d like to speed-up that process. Getting him signed early was a great move because it gets us an opportunity to work with him during the summer. It would have been more frustrating for us if it had dragged on into August or September. I think right now the roster is basically set and as coaches, we can go to work. That gets us excited.”

Q: What are your thoughts on Randolph?

A: “Randolph is another good pickup — I think everybody sees a great athlete. I think he’s a frustrated player from the 3-4 years he’s been on losing teams, unsuccessful teams. We’re looking forward to working with him. Our roster is very young, but in the same sense, it’s very dangerous.”

Q: Finally, first-round pick Evan Fournier is locked into a contract and will be in the U.S. next season, either on your roster or in the D-League. What have you seen out of him?

A: “I think his attitude has been spectacular. He’s come in here desirous for an opportunity and worked hard to show us that he deserves one. If you think the frontcourt is crowded, the backcourt is crowded too. We think he can be an NBA player. As coaches, it’s our job to get him to that point where we can’t keep him off the court. I think he has a great upside, but he definitely has to grow. And right now, you have to grow from being at the bottom of the totem pole. And it’s always difficult when people in front of you are good, too.”

Benjamin Hochman was a sports columnist for The Denver Post until August 2015 before leaving for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, his hometown newspaper. Hochman previously worked for the New Orleans Times-Picayune, winner of two Pulitzer Prizes for its Hurricane Katrina coverage. Hochman wrote the Katrina-themed book “Fourth and New Orleans,” published in 2007.

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